Unmanned Systems (UxS) present unique challenges to Cybersecurity developers due to: (1) The need to secure these systems and protect classified information in the unmanned operational environment, where the UxS are often outside the visual range and physical control of the operator. (2) They require very low Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) consumption constraints imposed by the smaller UxS. (3) They also impose long and costly approval processes for employing Cryptographic Products, Key Management Architectures, and other High Assurance security solutions in the military operational environment. Additionally, modularizing communications architectures to take advantage of rapid technological and SWaP advancements often results in multiple classification domains, and the need to move plaintext control information between these domains, which results in a Cross Domain Solutions (CDS), requirement.
This paper details work supporting High Assurance Cybersecurity engineering for UxS that includes: (1) Investigating current approved cryptographic and CDS tactical products to assess their suitability for UxS operations. Although some current products can meet the larger UxS SWaP requirements, most approved products do not meet SWaP requirements for the smaller UxS. (2) Exploring potential new technologies that have not yet reached the operational stage but show promise for meeting the smaller UxS SWaP requirements. (3) Evaluating potential solutions that will meet the three challenges of deploying High Assurance Cybersecurity solutions onboard UxS in military operations.
|
